Every Day Life
by RionaleprechaunwingsGallagher
Summary: Sequel to my story "An Old Friend". Riona starts settling down in DC, and she tries to hang out with her two best friends.


Okay, here's the sequel to "An Old Friend". It explores more of the Booth/Riona relationship, both past and current. Hope you enjoy. :-)

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**Every Day Life**

Riona woke up one morning and yawned. She looked around and saw she was curled up on the couch somewhere. She smiled, remembering that she and Booth had hung out last night for the first time in years.

Booth walked out of his room, dressed in a suit. He walked over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup before coming out with a Cream Soda for Riona.

"Thanks for letting me sleep on the couch, Dummy," Riona grumbled, groaning as she stretched her sore muscles.

"You're still not a morning person, are you, Leprechaun?" Booth replied.

"No, no I am not. You're very lucky you have Cream Soda for me. And, it's the good kind, even. Not Faygo."

Booth gave her his charm smile, which caused her to glower at him in return.

"I love you, my little Irish sister?" He tried.

"Be glad that you are my best friend," she said ominously.

Riona yawned before taking a swig of Cream Soda. She found her overnight bag and pulled out the clothes she would be wearing. She changed in the bathroom, using Booth's large mirror to admire the way her royal purple blouse hugged her curves, and how her black skirt encased her legs. She slid into her platform-heeled shoes, and took a brush to her hair. She allowed the locks to fall in their natural waves. She added a locket to finish the look. It was in the shape of a four-leaf clover, and the inscription read "Leprechaun". It was her birthday present from Booth right before he left for the Army. It was one of her most treasured possessions.

She walked out, and his face lit up in recognition. "Been a long time since I've seen that."

"I used to wear it every day," she told him. "When you left, I wore it to keep you safe. I knew you would be in danger and that you'd get hurt, but I hoped that by wearing it, I'd make sure you'd come home."

He hugged her, so incredibly happy to call her his friend. "Come on, Leprechaun. We have to get to work. Would not do to have you late on your first day, would it?"

She stuck her tongue out at Booth. "I'd only be late because you didn't wake me up and let me fall asleep on the damn couch."

He laughed and stuck his tongue out right back at her. Being together for the first time since they were eighteen really brought out their childishness. The two walked out to Booth's Toyota Sequoia SUV, and Booth started driving. He walked her down to the Forensics area in the basement of the Hoover, smiling at people as they walked.

"What are you doing down here, Booth?" One of Booth's friends, Chris Knight, asked.

"I'm just showing Dr. Gallagher to her new office. Riona, this is Special Agent Chris Knight; he works in Major Crimes with me. Chris, this is Dr. Riona Gallagher. She and I grew up together, and she's the new Head of Forensics."

"Nice to meet you," Riona told him, shaking his hand.

"You as well. Welcome to the FBI."

"Thank you." Riona smiled.

Booth allowed himself a slight smirk while watching his two friends. They had a bit of chemistry, even upon their first meeting. He wanted to see where that went. But, he would have to keep his plans secret. Riona nearly killed him the last time he tried to set her up with someone. It was for good reason, but he knew that she still didn't want him trying to play matchmaker with her.

"See you later, Booth," Chris spoke, breaking Booth from his mischievous thoughts.

"Yeah, Chris," Booth answered. "You gonna be good, Riona?"

"I'll be fine, Booth. Hey, lunch is on me. Bring Bren."

"You got it." Booth grinned at her and headed up to his fourth floor office.

Riona watched her friend leave before walking into her new office. She smiled and started taking items out of the bag she had brought to make the office hers. She took out pictures of her and her family. She had a few of her and Booth from high school, and she had some of her and Bren in grad school. She also had some fake plants, as she had inherited her mother's ability to deal with live ones.

~*~BONES~*~

"So, what do we have here?" Riona asked, going into the morgue.

"Two bodies found on the bank of the Potomac. Falls in our jurisdiction. We need to narrow down the characteristics to run a missing persons' search."

"I'm on it."

Riona looked over the bones on the table. She concluded that the first one was female, mid twenties, and of Latin-American origin. She'd given birth, but only twice at the most. The second skeleton was much smaller, and Riona's heart hurt when she realized it was a five year old child. Also female, same racial indicators.

"We'll need to get facial reconstructions to be sure, but I'd be willing to say that this is a mother and daughter from Latin-America," Riona told the person who would be feeding them into the missing persons' database.

He nodded, and Riona removed her lab coat and gloves and went up to the fourth floor to see if Booth was ready for lunch. She held back, noticing someone was in his office. Booth noticed her through the window and grinned, motioning for her to join him.

"Hey, Leprechaun! What are you doing up here?"

"We have a lunch date. You, me, and Bren. Remember?"

"Of course. Riona, this is Hank Luttrell. We were in the Rangers together, same unit in Kosovo. Hank, this is Dr. Riona Gallagher. She and I grew up together."

"And the whole 'Leprechaun' thing?" Hank asked as he shook Riona's hand.

"I'm short and Irish, so Giant here started calling me that when we were 15."

Booth smiled innocently, and she poked him in the ribs.

"Ow!" He rubbed his side.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," Hank and Riona said at once.

They turned to each other and grinned, exchanging high fives. Riona really liked Hank.

"Want to come to lunch? It's on me," Riona offered.

"I would, but I have to get to court in an hour. How about another time?" Hank replied.

"Sounds great."

Booth smiled. "See ya later, Hank," he said.

"Yeah. Call me soon, Booth. Janie and the kids have been asking about you, and you don't need to disappoint them like a jackass."

Booth held up his hands. "You got it, Hank."

Riona waved. "It was good to meet you."

"You too. Just call me if he's out of line on anything and I'll kick his ass," Hank joked with Riona.

Booth held out his arm to Riona, who wrapped hers around it. The two went to pick up Bren from the Jeffersonian and then to the Diner.

Riona sat by Brennan, wanting to be next to her other friend when they hadn't seen each other in a few days. Booth and Riona both got a burger, needing their beef, while Brennan had an egg salad sandwich. Both Riona and Brennan kept eating fries off of Booth's plate, even though Riona had her own. She smacked Booth's hand whenever he tried to take a fry from her.

"How is this fair? Both you and Bones get my fries, but only you get yours?" Booth asked.

"Bren can have some of my fries if she wants," Riona answered.

"But I can't?" Booth pouted.

"Mmm. Nope. You made me sleep on the couch."

He sighed. "Knew that you'd somehow make this my fault."

Riona nodded and continued eating while Brennan laughed.

"Is this what you two were like as adolescents?" Brennan questioned.

Booth and Riona looked at each other before laughing. "Yeah!"

"This is perfectly normal behavior. You should've seen us back then. We made everyone around us go nuts."

Booth nodded. "Her parents or Pops always ended up telling us to go to the yard. We were obnoxious."

"Yep," Riona agreed.

Booth met Riona's eyes and smiled softly. "This was every day life for us. I am glad it is again."

"Me too, Booth," Riona said.

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Okay, there it is. Next one will have the Checkerbox, Riona's two weeks, and then his funeral. That will be up when I finish "The Pen Won't Lie". Hope you liked this installment, and please leave a review.

-AL


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